Скачать или смотреть Zurna Ensemble in Sheki, Azerbaijan | Recording Earth

Subscribe and discover with us: http://bit.do/earthsubs

The conical instrument you see is the zurna. It's an ancient and well-traveled instrument that dates back in myth to Adam and Eve. Turkish lore says that Adam, who was molded from clay, had no soul. Only the melodious zurna-playing of Archangel Gabriel could breathe life into Adam.

Cycling from the Georgian border, I arrived in Sheki after a couple of days. The Azerbaijani border was militaristic compared to Georgia, with a mile-long empty road separating the two frontiers. The culture immediately feels different. What struck me was the Islamic influence in architecture, language, food, and people, and I was about to discover it was the same for the music.

The veins of musical culture run deep in Azerbaijan and the Azeri region, expanding into Iran and parts of Armenian disputed territories. Much like India, Azerbaijan has many modal music systems with different names, the most famous being mugham. I recorded two mugham pieces throughout my time in Azerbaijan, and I still can't tell you what makes them unique to other compositions. I get the feeling that, much like Indian music, you would have to invest several years in understanding its nuances and intricacies correctly.

I do know, however, that this music by the Zurna Kilar Ensemble is not Mugham; it's village ceremonial music designed to be mobile. We've seen and heard this type of music played worldwide, from Vietnam, where we recorded the Red Dao horn, to Jordan, when we recorded the Syrian Mijwiz. One musician performs the pedal using circular breathing, and the next principal hornist plays a lively, vivacious melody, which could be considered a solo. Finally, the "balanagra" and the "chos" (more commonly known in both instances as "nagara") are beaten using unusually curled mallets. These provide the rhythm.

It's always a pleasure to arrive in a town such as Sheki. They didn't know about me or Recording Earth, yet they still see the value of archiving their traditional music. It's also about tourism, and if you are interested in Caravan Serai's and the old silk road, I highly recommend a visit. There's nothing quite like handing over your camel (or bicycle in my case) to an innkeeper and having a glass of black tea on the balcony before paying your respects to the Khan so that you might trade your wares at the market.

Olly

Edited by Alex Blogg
FIlmed & Recorded by Oliver Burton